Admission to Nursery

Nursery Admissions

If you are interested in applying please contact school immediately for details.  This includes 30hr provision and wrap around care (before and after school club is a charged service). Please ring school on 0113 2930240 and ask for Mrs Childerson in the office (term time) or email Mrs Ryan, Head Teacher on headteacher@st-theresas.leeds.sch.uk  during school closure times. 

Admission into Nursery is very different to admission to main school.  There are nominally 104 places available in our Nursery; 52 in the morning and 52 in the afternoon.  If you wish to apply for a place in our Nursery then you would be best advised to contact school and collect an application form from the main desk in reception.  If you require additional information please ask for Mrs Childerson who manages admissions into Nursery.

Children aged 3 – 4 are entitled to 15 hours free Nursery provision usually the term after their 3rd birthday.  This 15 hours can be made up in one of the following flexible arrangements:

There are 2 x two and a half day sessions run and they run like this:

Beginning of the week children:

Monday, Tuesday 9.00 – 3.30

Weds am: 9.00 12.00

End of the week children:

Weds pm: 12.30 – 3.30

Thursday, Friday: 9.00 – 3.30

Nursery Dinners: 

We do offer our Nursery children the opportunity to have a hot meal in the middle of the day (a school dinner) but sadly we have to charge for these meals (£2/day/child) unless you think you might qualify for Free School Meals (FSM).  It is important that if you think you might qualify for FSM that you apply for them as this helps the school greatly with additional revenue as well as enabling you and your child to access a meal which will not be charged. You should send your child with a packed lunch if they do not want a cooked meal.

NB.

1. We are no longer offering just mornings or just afternoons due to the lack of popularity of this option with parents/carers.

2. If you think you may qualify for FSMs in Nursery because you are in receipt of other benefits then please speak to one of the office staff and they will advise you. This link may help you decide if you are eligible: Application for Free School Meals

30 Hour Provision:

In addition to the 15hr provision that all children are entitled to, we now offer 30 hours to children whose parents qualify for this level of provision.  There are very strict criteria for 30hr provision and as parents you need to ensure that you are eligible before applying.  The criteria include:

• Both parents (in a two parent household) must be working a minimum of 16hrs per week each
• Lone parents must be working a minimum of 16hrs per week
• You (and/or your partner’s income) must not exceed £100,000 per annum
• You can check if you are entitled to 30hr provision and obtain an eligibility code by visiting: www.tax.service.gov.uk   and putting 30hours Nursery provision in the search bar.

We cannot guarantee a 30hr place even if you are entitled because it is not always possible to provide them due to the numbers involved and staffing ratios but we will do our best to accommodate parents’ wishes.

There is a separate policy for Nursery Admission and it is outlined below.  The policy runs year on year and is amended accordingly to take into account changes in dates etc.  It has been amended for the year 2023 – 2024 to reflect the change in circumstances in the new school.

NURSERY ADMISSIONS POLICY

Wrap Around Care: Extended School Provision

We now offer wrap around care from 7.30am to 9.00am in the morning and 3.30pm to 6.00pm in the evening.  The provision for Nursery and Reception children is separate to the rest of main school and our young people are looked after by specialist early years practitioners.  They are catered for in the Nursery and/or Reception Classrooms but you collect your child from the main entrance area please.  They should be dropped off at the main entrance for the morning sessions and they will be taken to the Nursery by our Extended School staff. The costs and arrangement are the same for Nursery children and are on the page below: (please click here for the link)

Before and After School Extended School Provision

If you have any questions about admissions into Nursery then please contact school and ask for Mrs Childerson.  Enquiries about Extended School Provision should be directed to Mrs Jackson who is on the reception desk in the main school.

Admission to Main School:

The process of admission into main school or Reception class begins in the Autumn Term of the academic year that your child will be 4 years old… you are applying for a place in the following academic year, when you child will turn five years old.  Admission to Nursery does not mean automatic admission to Main School (Reception).  This is an entirely different process. However, we have had a number of Catholic families ‘caught-out’ in recent years because they have not had their ‘Catholic’ child baptised.

If your child is NOT BAPTISED IN A CATHOLIC CHURCH BY A CATHOLIC PRIEST OR DEACON then they are not considered to be Catholic (yet) and will be categorised accordingly using the over subscription criteria.  This has led to lots of heartbreak recently.  We typically get in excess of 180 applications for the 60 places at St Theresa’s and always more than 60 1st choice preferences. I cannot stress how important it is that you get your child baptised before applying for a place in Reception in main school; saying it is going to happen after the process is concluded, or even during the process, will not suffice, even if you have a letter from the Parish Priest.

I am offering this as advice to avoid hurt and upset and difficult conversations at the potential appeal process.  You should however, never just get your child baptised to get them into our school… Baptism is a life-long commitment to the Faith and should not be taken lightly.

Mrs Ryan,

Head Teacher